Federal health officials have pulled back a key recommendation that pregnant women get the COVID-19 vaccine -- causing sharp criticism from doctors and other experts.

On May 29, the Centers for Disease Control updated its childhood immunization schedule to say that healthy kids between the ages of 6 months and 17 years “may receive” COVID vaccines “informed by the clinical judgment of a healthcare provider and personal preference and circumstances.

Existing evidence on the safety and efficacy of getting a COVID vaccine in pregnancy all points the same way: the shot is important for maternal and fetal health.

An announced COVID vaccine policy change followed by updates to the immunization schedules leave clinicians with more questions than answers.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will no longer recommend routine Covid shots for healthy children and pregnant women, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr ...

But in 2024, there was a prolonged summer surge in California that lasted from June through the end of September. After that spike, the expected winter surge never came this year, and for the first time in five years, flu deaths surpassed COVID deaths.